A Hamburger Today

Snapshots from the Smoke Experiment in Austin at SXSW

Posted by Meredith Bethune, Mar 13, 2013

The eating and drinking never stops at SXSW. As part of the Interactive Festival and a national tour, Brooklyn-based The Food Experiments held their latest cooking competition on Sunday, March 10 in Austin. The theme was a tribute to the culinary heritage of Texas—smoke!

Nineteen teams faced off at Clive Bar in downtown Austin. Smokey creations included smoked macaroni and cheese, smoked scallops, and smoked corn chowder. As you'd expect, there was plenty of decadent pulled pork, and Brooklyn Brewery poured four different beers. There was a long line out the door when I arrived, but the perfect spring weather and lovely outdoor setting made the crowds tolerable.

The panel of judges included Claudia Alarcón of The Austin Chronicle, Addie Broyles of The Austin-American Statesman, Stacy and Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue, Brooklyn Brewery House Chef Andrew Gerson, and Tiffany Harelik of Trailer Food Diaries. They named Rage Against the Cuisine the winner with "Porklandia"-- a dish of smoked pork belly, over apple terrine, red wine cabbage, and smoked olive oil "ashes."

The audience favorite was a dish of smoked rainbow trout and pork belly by Team Red Wattle Of course, I had my own set of favorites. Click through the slideshow to see more photos!